Monday, May 14, 2007

The vessel 'Maasdam' was the first cruise ship of 2007 to stop and let off passengers in downtown Bar Harbor, prompting many shops and restaurants to open their doors.

More than 90 cruise ships are expected to bring more than 130,000 passengers to Bar Harbor this summer and fall, a small portion of the millions that travel onto MDI and into Acadia National Park every year in highway vehicles.

Most of the cruise ships will visit after Labor Day, however, when schools start up again and the number of tourists who drive onto MDI declines.

Maasdam, which can carry as many as 2,200 passengers and crew members, is expected to visit Bar Harbor 17 times through the end of October.

Memorial Day — long recognized as the unofficial start of Maine’s summer tourist season — still two weeks away, not all seasonal businesses have opened up their doors.The signs of activity are there, however. Workers have been painting and cleaning business facades, while shop employees and deliverers have been stocking the stores and restaurants in anticipation of opening up.

Year-round residents and return visitors will spot a few new retail businesses in Bar Harbor this year and will recognize one popular spot that is coming back after an absence of a few years.Miguel’s, a longtime popular local Mexican restaurant, is opening again after going through a recent series of owners and even having its menu and name changed.Local shop owner Veilleux, said Saturday’s sale was a success and hopes to do it again next year.

The weather, Mother’s Day weekend and the Maasdam’s visit all came together to make Saturday seem like a busy mid-summer day, she said."It definitely affected our sales," Veilleux said of the cruise ship’s stop. "It almost felt as if we didn’t have a spring."

1 comment:

I happened upon your blog and very nice, enjoyed this. we are looking to see the east coast on a cruise in the fall months in the future. we live in Tampa. hey if you want a good laugh, here's my silly blog theshoppingcarts.blogspot.com peace!